On Monday, October 20, Gerry Iannaccone, chef-owner of Goodfellas Restaurant in New Haven, held an amazing Caymus Wine Dinner in support of Connecticut Food Bank. The event was a smashing success, a complete sellout with roughly 200 guests filling the main dining room downstairs and private function room upstairs.
It certainly wasn’t as if anything Goodfellas held anything back. The meal began with the restaurant’s signature hors d’oeuvre, just some of which included bruschetta, beefsteak toasts, liver toasts, mini-sliders, stuffed mushrooms, potato croquettes, fried calamari and prosciutto-wrapped figs. An alert eater could easily have filled up on these treats, but he would have regretted it because of the delights to come.
The remaining four courses were really full, not tasting, portions. The first course featured two huge grilled shrimp served over a warm bean salad. The second course presented a grilled Colorado lamb chop with polenta and broccoli rabe. The third course showcased an enormous, succulent, grilled veal chop with fingerling potato and roasted pepper. And the dessert course was a fresh fruit tart in a shortbread crust with pastry cream.
Caymus Vineyards is one of America’s most prestigious wineries, and John Slocum was on hand from Slocum & Sons to give interesting and valuable background on the selections guests got to sample. Gerry’s siblings, Ralph Iannaccone, who owns Luce in Hamden and Elena Fusco, who owns Bin 100 in Milford, were also on hand.
At the end of the dinner, to tremendous applause, chef-owner Gerry and his wife Andrea made the surprise announcement that ALL of the proceeds from this pull-out-all-the-stops dinner would be donated to Connecticut Food Bank.
THE VERDICT: One of New Haven’s most noteworthy Italian restaurants pairs up with one of America’s top wineries to support an important charity—and everybody wins!
FEEDBACK: If you were at the event, tell us about your experience.
CONTACT INFO: Goodfellas Restaurant, 702 State Street, New Haven, 203-785-8722, www.goodfellasrestaurant.com